Banana Bread Protein Bars

April 17, 2013Angela (Oh She Glows)

by Angela (Oh She Glows) on April 17, 2013

Whenever my heart feels heavy, lost, or confused I tend to turn to the kitchen to distract myself. Seeking comfort in food isn’t as bad as those ridiculous diet magazines make it out to be. Food can bring us all together and make us pause to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. Sometimes, a big pot of chili and garlic bread, creamy avocado pasta, or warm walnut banana bread is just the thing we need in that moment. Other days, it’s a big kale salad or a juicy basket of strawberries and coconut cream. Monday night, I made pasta with homemade spaghetti sauce while we watched the news. I felt like a zombie as I cooked, but I knew we needed something to settle our bellies.

It’s been an emotional week to say the least. I find myself extra sensitive about everything, trying to make sense of all the loss in this world. I haven’t made any sense of it yet and there’s no feeling of progress made in my mind. Despite this heavy heart, I can’t help but be inspired by all the good out there. The selfless people helping in a time of need. The bravery and generosity going on is a beautiful thing to see. Sometimes I don’t always see the good, but it’s there. Love always prevails.

These banana bread bars were my solution to another comfort food craving yesterday. Think of them as soft, doughy granola bars filled with crunchy walnuts, omega-3 lovin’ chia seeds, and a sprinkling of dark chocolate chips. The wet batter is made up of spotty bananas, a generous scoop of protein-packed peanut butter, a splash of vanilla, and just a hint of sweetener to round it all out. I’ve been enjoying them around the clock, so it’s safe to say they work nicely as breakfast, snack, or even dessert. Your call.

1. Preheat oven to 350F and line an 8-inch square pan with 2 pieces of parchment paper, one going each way. Tip – to get the parchment to stick to the pan, give the base a spray with olive oil and do this for the next paper too.

2. Add raw buckwheat groats into a high-speed blender and blend on high until a fine flour forms. Whisk all dry ingredients together in a mixing bowl.

3. Mash bananas until smooth and measure out 3/4 cup. Stir together the banana and all the wet ingredients in a bowl.

4. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir well until combined. The dough should be very sticky!

5. Scoop batter into prepared pan. Place a piece of parchment paper on top of the batter and press it down to spread out the batter evenly. You can also remove the paper and wet your hands lightly and spread it out that way. Make sure it’s as even as possible.

6. Bake at 350F for 22-26 minutes, or until the edges are golden brown and the bread is firm to touch. Cool in the pan completely (I left it for 1 hour) before removing and slicing into bars.

Notes: Raw buckwheat groats are not the same as kasha or toasted buckwheat. Raw groats have a milder flavour than toasted. You can find raw groats online, in some health food stores, or the bulk bins of Whole Foods. I buy mine in bulk from Upaya Naturals online. You might be able to substitute the ground buckwheat for oat flour, but I have not tried this myself. If anyone tries it, please leave a comment and report back.

Hi Angela,
So hard to keep up with you:) You come up with something awesome all the time. Can I replace peanut butter with almond butter you think. Can’t wait for your book to come out. i think you have the best Vegan recipes. Quick question though: I made your zucchini cake/bread but the bread did not bake inside. I had to throw it away:( Do i need to squeeze the zucchini to get the water out of them before mixing it in? Thanks!!!

Hi Vildan, You are so sweet! Thank you for the kind words. I can’t see why almond butter wouldn’t work (of course the flavour will change though). I’ve never had that problem with the zucchini bread and I’m sorry that happened to you. Did you make any changes to the recipe? My guess is that it just needed more time in the oven – oven temps can vary a lot. try the toothpick test to make sure it comes out clean before removing from the oven.

Hi sorry to butt in but since the zucchini/walnut bread is sort of a standard in my house, here’s my take on it.
Angela’s temp confused me, I bake it at 180 C for 40 min then cover it with foil for another 20min. That way the bread is baked otherwise it is wet. It’s best eaten/sliced the next day. Also I omit the sugar and add 1 extra TBs of agave syrup and reduce the water in the flaxseed by one. I wasn’t kidding about the healthy vegan. No vegan butter or sugar in the recipes I cook.

Thank you Angela for your recipes. I am not a vegan by the way but my husband is a recent one. Or rather a health addict. However your recipes are so good I’ve eaten quite a few of your recipes. I’ve done so many- Universal salad,red quinoa/ black bean, the X’mas meatloaf one, and I forget the rest. Your tomato soup with red lentil is the best soup I’ve ever tasted.

Thank you for your recipes. They are about the only ones I can bear to cook can’t stand the other vegan recipes I find in books or on the Net.

Banana bread is a great comfort food! Especially warm, with some of that maple spread on top.. mmm. I found myself in the kitchen a lot this week as well. While many people found comfort running an extra mile or a half hour longer to show their love and support to Boston, I made a couple amazing meals in my kitchen. My heart goes out to all those affected by this tragedy.

I always turn to baking when I am feeling down/depressed/angry/upset/stressed (you name it). I’m sure it benefits my colleagues to wind me up :-) I have all those ingredients at home so I can see myself hurrying to make these. My prayers are with all those who are affected by this .

Lovely reflections, Angela. As you note, there’s a lot of people in the healthy food world that criticize notions of comfort food and emotional eating, but I think it’s important to honor what your heart needs, and put those needs above the ostensibly “healthier” option. These bars look delicious and grounding. Just what so many of us need this week!

Hey Joy, To be honest I haven’t had much luck when using protein powder in baked granola bars. I find it tends to come out chalky? Add at your own risk ;) and please let us know how it goes if you try it!

They came out delicious and not chalky at all, but they were a bit too dry. Next time I’m going to add a full banana instead of half and maybe a bit more peanut butter. Do you have any suggestions on what else I can add to make it more moist? I was also thinking about topping them with your peanut butter drizzle!

I’ve been trying to decide what to do with a bunch of spotted bananas sitting on the counter… thanks for today’s snack :) I only hope buckwheat flour works instead of freshly ground buckwheat grouts! Everything else is in the pantry ready to go when the baby and I get back from our walk/run. Have to take advantage of the sun being out while it lasts :)

Hey Melanie, Sorry I missed your question some how!
I’m not sure how long they keep because we polished them off in 2 days. hah. oops. Since they are a baked good I wouldn’t imagine they’d keep fresh more than a few days. They might freeze well, but I didn’t get around to that. Let me know if you try it!

When I’m stressed, being in the kitchen and creating, making, seeing what happens and what I come up with is therapeutic and relaxing and needless to say, with this week’s events, I have been feeling unsettled and have spent plenty of time in the kitchen.

Your bars are wonderful. Banana bread, and granola bars, are both faves of mine. Love these!

Love the recipe and some comfort food right now is fine indeed. It’s always been a way people come together in my house. Hoping to make these for a girl’s tea party next week in honor of two little girls whose daddy is serving in the military right now. Might make an extra batch to send to my son, who lives in Boston and was one mile from the explosions (so glad he didn’t run this year)!

These look amazing! Quick question though, I have nut and coconut allergies over here :( What can I use instead of the walnuts and shredded coconut? Can I use sunflower seeds and/or pepitas and just omit the coconut? Thanks!!

Hi Brooke, I would imagine oat flour would work fine as a replacement, but I haven’t tried it. Wheat flour could be too drying. I would also guess honey could work, however it’s slightly less binding then coconut nectar and brown rice syrup so it might be a tad more crumbly. goodluck!

I know exactly what you mean about turning to food to distract yourself…I feel like I’ve been cooking more than ever this week :/ These bars looks just fabulous. I’m going to pick up some buckwheat groats in the bulk isle so I can make these beauties ASAP!

I also find being in the kitchen to be therapeutic and allow me to try to process my feelings when tragic events like Boston happen. It’s been an emotional week for everyone I think, but inspiring as well to see the running community reach out in so many ways too.

These look and sound sublime — and they’re the perfect comfort food. I also go to the kitchen when faced with difficult, sad, or scary things; I find that nesting, especially cooking, helps me cope. In the weeks after 9/11, I could only watch Comedy Central and cook. I found myself doing similar things on Monday: I got home from work and went straight to the kitchen.

I also completely agree that love prevails. There have been tons of stories about peoples’ compassion, kindness, and caring in the wake of the bombing, and I’ve decided that *that* is what I want to focus on.

There’s an MLK quote that I used for my post-Boston blog post: “Darkness cannot drive out darkenss; only love can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” The best thing we can all do is to choose love. We can help people cope, help them heal once the time comes for that, and be good to each other. When people choose love and compassion, hate and violence — and the people who perpetrate them — don’t stand a chance.

I completely agree, whenever I feel a bit lost I head to the kitchen to soothe and unwind. That’s probably why my fridge is now full of things I baked and cooked Monday and yesterday! These look wonderful and I know my honey will love the banana flavor bars! Thanks for posting, Alex

I cannot wait to try these! I love anything I can make into a bar or a ball, anything bite size… so these will be a welcome addition to me grab-able snacks!! They look divine! Comforting, healthy, and delicious!

There’s nothing like good food to draw people together, especially at a time like this when all are a little sensitive and disoriented by recent events. Thanks for sharing your thoughts and this delicious looking bar recipe. :-)

Since I have no gluten issues can I just use regular rolled oats? AND, until I can get to Whole Foods….is there a (common) substitute for the groats?
Thanks.
Also….do you have a good recipe for granola trail bars that are soft, yet will hold together?
Thanks.

I love you so much for saying that sometimes it’s okay to seek comfort in food. I think it’s been driven into us through so many mediums that we shouldn’t eat food if we’re sad/depressed/happy/etc and only eat food because it’s nourishing. In fact, just the other day I was browsing through Pinterest and I found what I believe was supposed to be motivation for losing weight and eating healthy that basically said, from this point forward you won’t eat any white bread, no sugar, no this, no that, food is only meant to sustain your body, it doesn’t matter what it tastes like…

And it made me so angry! Food is so much more that just what goes in and what comes out. Food is social, moral and ethical and can reflect cultural and religious values. Yeah, of course seeking comfort in food regularly can be negative, just like all things can have negative and positive aspects. Anyway, long comment, but it’s refreshing to hear you say it :)

Hi Kim, coconut nectar has a low GI (35-40), I believe one of the lowest of sweeteners. I’m not sure about BRS as I’ve read conflicting info about it online. Yes please do let me know how it turns out!

How did the buckwheat flour work?? I found it at the Fresh Market near me, and I was going to try it as well. I have a place in town that has the raw groats- but it is not convenient at all and I am really hoping the flour works!! I need to just make a trip and get a bunch of the groats one weekend, just so I can make all of the great recipes- made the Carrot cake porridge once and loved it!

I made these bars this afternoon. I used Bob’s Red Mill buckwheat flour. I think they came out well. A pinch darker as I expected and maybe a bit stronger in flavor? Overall I was pleased. Thanks for creating the recipes that you do. It’s hard to find gluten free recipes that are whole grain. I read so many recipes that start with something like “1/2 cup cornstarch”. I am gluten free (intolerant and Hashimotos) and I don’t want to replace everything with starch!

These look awesome. So much love for all things banana and peanut butter.
Plus, I actually have almost all of these things in my dorm room (minus honey and coconut which I can steal from the dining hall haha) so I can actually make them this week! Keep staying strong during this difficult time. :)

Hi Angela,
These look like great snack bars. Is the banana flavor very strong in the finished product? I’m not a huge banana fan, so do you think I could sub some apple sauce for part of the banana? Thanks for your thoughts!

Is there something you could sub for the coconut? I just recently ran out and haven’t had a chance to get to the only store around me that sells unsweetend coconut. These look delicious and I’d love to try them. Thank you for the recipe!

Hey Angela, I know this has nothing to do with the bars but congrats on being featured in the May issue of Women’s Health Magazine! I was reading the “Great Cooking Bonus” piece, saw your name in the credits and thought “Yay! She’s awesome and now she’s in this mag!”. Anyway, just wanted to say that :)

this words resonated with me. I see it fitting to share them with you if you haven`t read them already;I hope they bring you some comfort.

“This is a giant planet and we’re lucky to live on it but there are prices and penalties incurred for the daily miracle of existence. One of them is, every once in awhile, the wiring of a tiny sliver of the species gets snarled and they’re pointed towards darkness,”

But the vast majority stands against that darkness and, like white blood cells attacking a virus, they dilute and weaken and eventually wash away the evil doers and, more importantly, the damage they wreak. This is beyond religion or creed or nation. We would not be here if humanity were inherently evil. We’d have eaten ourselves alive long ago.

So when you spot violence, or bigotry, or intolerance or fear or just garden-variety misogyny, hatred or ignorance, just look it in the eye and think, ‘The good outnumber you, and we always will.’ ”

Monday left me lost and confused too. I just don’t understand why tragedies like this continue to happen. You’re so right that it helps to focus on the positive things though. Or baking. It’s always such a great outlet when I’m sad or stressed. These bars look awesome!

Just made these with almonds instead of walnuts because that’s all I had. They are wonderful! Thanks so much! I have this great little Wilton pan that has 9 little 2.5 x 3.5 rectangles – made perfect bars.

Oh Ange, great post. I feel the same way as you about the tragedy on Monday, but at the same time am so proud of all of those that have rallied together to provide support. Today was a really nasty day for me (albeit nowhere near as bad in the grand scheme of things as what happened on Monday), but thinking about these bars is already making my day better! :)

I was very privileged to be running this year’s Boston Marathon for my first time. It really is an amazing event full of kind volunteers, amazing athletes, and wildly supportive fans. I think the Boston marathon, and marathons in general really break down barriers of race, religion, age, etc., and put us all on an even playing field where we can pour our hearts (and legs!) out.

Like many of you, I still can’t wrap my head around what happened in Boston on Monday. I heard the explosions from just a few blocks away, and I’ve seen the footage again and again. It is so hard to believe.

You are right, there is way more good out there. Thank you so much Angela for sharing much more than a delicious recipe this week!

For sure trying these the comfort of banana bread brings me back to 8 years old…do you think I can use just all buckwheat instead of oat flour or try another type of flour? I’ll have to try because oats and I had to part ways this year because of a food allergy ;( thank you for sharing! love + shine Courtstar

Thanks for this recipe – I have been looking for a good homemade protein bar that I can make a ton of and keep on hand, and I am eager to try this! I am just wondering how long you think this will keep–like could I make some to have around for a couple of weeks, or would it go stale as quickly as any other baked good? And if so, do you think it would freeze well?

I think they would go stale as quickly as other baked goods….I’d give them 3-4 days tops. Ours only last 2 days though because we polished them off. I’d say your best bet is freezing but I haven’t tried that yet. Let me know how it goes if you try it!

Hi, Thank you for your wonderful recipes!!!!
Do you know how much flour you’ve gotten out of the 1/2 c of groats? I have buckwheat flour and was thinking of using that istead of grinding the buckwheat myself.
Thank you!

I love what you say about comfort food. We try so hard to stay away from it because it’s supposed to be bad to calm our nerves with food. But it’s also human… Chowing down one of your banana bars in a moment of stress or grieve isn’t bad at all. You made the recipe with love!

Angela-
I’ve been following your blog for a couple years now and I just wanted to let you know that your photography has gotten incredible!! I am so impressed!!! You really have done amazing. :) And besides that every recipe of yours I’ve ever tried has been so on point!
Tania

Thank you for your comforting words, Angela. It is hard to be a Boston resident right now. It’s like there is a big cloud over us…I feel like a zombie. Nice to read some uplifting thoughts on the subject.

Hi Angela,
This is unrelated to your banana bread bars, but I just wanted to let you know that I made your peanut butter cookies today – I think you called them “Aunt Angie’s soft peanut butter cookies” – for my little almost 20-month old son, who is sensitive to dairy and can’t have any milk products (like butter, etc.) yet. They were SO darn delicious, and as an added bonus, they have no sugar?!?!?! It’s amazing. I looked up several “traditional” p.b. cookie recipes before thinking to check your website – and they all had so much butter and so much sugar – like 2 cups of packed brown sugar!! It is so nice to know that I can make a “treat”, and have it be healthy. I’ll never make another p.b. cookie recipe again – only yours! Thanks so, so much for all that you do.

Hi Angela, those sound really good — I have some bananas calling my name!!!! What a good Sat am treat…. Have you ever tried Arbonne products? They have a vanilla (& chococolate) protein powder that is dairy, gluten, & soy free. Their entire “Essentials” line is also free of dairy/gluten/soy … NO animal testing on any of their products. I think I might omit some of the oats & try my protein!!! Email me if you want some samples to try new recipes for us ;)

Well I attempted to make these protien bars, and let them cool and these were totally awesome!. I did change the reciepe up a little instead of coconut nectar syrup I used the pure 100% Blue Aguave Nectar Syrup (I did not have coconut nectar syrup). these sure were yummy! as my kids would say. going to give reciepe to my friend Linda and some samples. Thanks for sharing!

Hi Angela,
I made these bars yesterday and instead of the buckwheat groats, I just made oat flour in my Vitamix using more of the rolled oats. They turned out well, although they are a bit dense. They really are right on the line of being a super healthy snack…but then the chocolate chips make them more of a dessert… a “snack-ert”. I love that there is no added sugar besides the brown rice syrup because so many recipes just contain too much sugar.
BTW, my family loves your chocolate zucchini walnut muffins so much that now we make batches and freeze them. After dinner, we just pull them out and microwave them for 30 seconds and enjoy! I also tried making them with mashed banana instead of the zucchini, but I like the zucchini better because it makes them fluffy.
I LOVE that your recipes are easy to make…you don’t make them too fancy or complicated with unusual ingredients, which really allows people like me to come home from work and make something fresh and healthy. SO EXCITED for your cookbook. :o)

Thank you for this recipe! I have been looking for a recipe and this looks the best! Can I use apple sauce in place of bananas? bananas spike my blood sugar. My prayers are with the injured and families of Boston too. Such a sad time for these innocent people. Thank you for your help.

Hi Kate, I’m not sure about the applesauce – haven’t tried that yet myself. Please report back if you try it and let us know how it goes! I know the bananas help bind the mixture and I’m not sure if applesauce would too. Hopefully they would still hold together.

Oh yum ~ these look amazing! I can’t wait to make them! I am awed by your continual creativity to keep coming up with all of these amazing recipes and have a whole different set for your cookbook. There is an endless well of inspiration, isn’t there? :-)

Love and wishes to those people who were hurt or affected by that dreadful bombing in Boston.
Well you are amazing Angela. I love your blog. I only tried this because you made it. Anybody else and I wouldn’t have. I have texture issues with bready doughy things (you wouldn’t get me near bread and butter pudding). I made this for my son (13) as a treat for sticking to a whole day of juicing yesterday. He said it’s to die for. I have to say it is very yummy, enough so that I can get past the banana and bread middle bit. The smell of peanut butter and banana as it was cooking was delicious. I couldn’t leave it in the tin till cold though as I just had to try it. Thank you very much. :)

I’m so feeling your post today. I live outside of Boston; actually, within 1-2 miles of all the activity that was going on yesterday to catch the suspect. Being on “lockdown” and not able to leave our houses was scary to say the least. It was the end to an awful, emotional week.

On Monday night, when I came home from work, all I could do was get in the kitchen and start cooking to distract myself. It puts me in a zone where I don’t have to think about other things. Similarly, yesterday the news coverage was becoming a bit much, but I didn’t feel I could do much else. So I made your Rustic Oat Banana Chocolate Chip Bread. It was exactly what I needed. And it seems sort of a close cousin to this bar recipe. Had to tell you that your bread, both in its yummy taste and its distraction, was just right.

Prayers for the victims and much love to the compassion coming from around the world, including yours.

Hi! I’m looking forward to trying these soon. I see an asterisk by buckwheat groats, but can’t find the note that goes with that asterisk – ? If I can’t find this ingredient, what do you recommend as a replacement? Thanks.

Hi Lesley, Oh the note is just below the recipe, under the nutritional info link. I think you might be able to replace the buckwheat flour with oat flour, but I havent tried this substitute myself. Enjoy!

I used regular quick oats and made a flour out of it as well. Swapped chia seeds for flax (not ground) and walnuts for almonds. Also used maple syrup and added a heap of hemp protein, turned out really yummy! Held together well and everything.

Made these today using the coconut nectar and buckwheat groats. The only change is that instead of the peanut butter, I used Earth Balance Coconut Peanut spread because it was what I had in the house. I also left out the chocolate because I’m not a huge fan of it. (Weird, I know!) Anyway, they are fabulous! Just the thing for an afternoon snack or for breakfast with a glass of green juice!

I’ve followed your blog for a while now, and tried a number of the recipes, but this is the first time I’ve commented. These bars are so good that I just had to!

I’m not certain these were as “healthy” as I was looking for, but I certainly enjoyed them on a cold and windy 40k run this AM. Last LSD before Mississauga weekend after next.

I forgot to purchase coconut syrup so I used some agave syrup I had. Googling for substitution ratios I learned that apparently agave syrup is no longer in fashion in terms of healthy. I have so much to learn from the plethora of opinions. LOL

I purchased buckwheat groats and ground them up in the new Vitamix – first time making flour. Worked great. I just want to know what buckwheat, groats or buckwheat groats are. A grain, I know. Why did you decided to use those over any other ingredient/flour. The only buckwheat I knew was an Eddie Murphy SNL character. LOL

Anyway, the real reasons I’m posting was to express my thanks. They turned out great, I also wanted to share the following link that I used to make them when I wanted to, despite that fact that the banana I had wasn’t quite ready. The texture of the cooked banana was a little strange to work with, but was totally fine in the square.

I made these today. I changed a few things. I did not have any walnuts or coconut on hand, so I used a mixture of cashews, dried cranberries and candied ginger that I had left in the cupboard. I also used almond butter instead of the peanut butter. turned out delicious. I just had two pieces with a cup of tea. Very nice after a 10k run.

Hi Angela, I love what you wrote for this post. I love your recipes and I’ve made plenty of them!

I have a new blog that is dedicated to those seeking recovery from their eating disorders as well as follows my own. I hope that my message and support will reach who ever in the world needs it. If you have time to check it out it’s Aheartinhealing.com Book mark it and pass it! xoxo

Hi Angela! I just recently discovered your blog and I have can not be more enthusiastic. Your recipes absolutely rock!! I have made several of your recipes and after making your banana bread protein bars I just had to write to you and tell you how wonderful they turned out. I am so excited for your cookbook to come out. I will be buying it for my mom and several friends:). –KB

Hi Angela,
I’ve been feeling the same way. Sometimes I feel as though it’s easier and less mentally draining to ignore the news to ignore all of the ugliness, murder, violence, and cruelty in the world. Crimes are not only committed and perpetrated by “monsters” or “terrorists” but sometimes by our own government. But I am with you: love will always prevail and the truth will always set us free (even though it might piss us off first). I have to constantly remind myself of this and know that is what I want to dedicate my life to. To helping those who aren’t heard and to be a part of something bigger than myself. Thanks for your thoughtful insight.

Side note: these looks awesome! I have some bananas that will be ripe enough to bake with in a day or two :)

Hi Angela, definitely feeling the same sentiment as you right now… and I’ve always been of the opinion that food can nourish both the body and the mind. I definitely reach for warm, comforting and filling stews or soups in winter, and crave leafy, fresh crisp salads in Summertime. I think that it’s good to be responsive to our bodies, whilst also maintaining an awareness of how our emotional state affects our eating patterns and other behaviours (i.e. food should not be the only comfort!). Argh, complex subject and I probably shouldn’t have started discussing it here! But… great blog post, beautiful recipe. Can’t wait to try it… I’m still working through a bag of beautiful cacao nibs so it’ll be lovely to throw a big handful into these bars!

Hi Angela, great recipe, you are a big inspiration for me, since a week ago i became into a vegan, im really happy, im vegetarian since im 23 im 36 now.
The only thing i have to say is that my stomach is very very swollen is it common? Its just in the bigining?
Sorry about my english i m argentinian, thanks

These are wonderful – I just made them this afternoon. Thank you for another incredible recipe. I made a couple of tweaks for my taste – didn’t add the chocolate chips (I don’t like chocolate – I know, I’m weird), used 1/2 tsp salt, 1 Tbsp of Coconut sugar and used Gluten free oat flour in place of the buckwheat (which I love but didn’t have it). Anyway – I’m taking the rest to work tomorrow because I can’t stop eating them! Thanks again for another luscious recipe!!! I love your website. I’m an aspiring cook myself and when I grow up I want to be just like you (I’m only 61 years old right now . . .) :)

So yummy!!! I didn’t have the rice syrup or the groats but I had everything else. I replaced the rice syrup with maple syrup and used oat flour. Yummmm-o! If the texture and taste is improved without the substitutions I can’t even imagine how good they can be, since I think the ones I made were sheer perfection. They cut perfectly and are new in the rotation of green monsters, oatmeal bars :) You’re making my new vegan lifestyle sooo easy!

Angela, I had a couple of sad, lonely spotty bannanas sitting on my counter begging for a purpose. And what a purpose they have found! My son LOVES these bars. Sadly I am on the candida diet and could not partake, but am looking forward to eating them in the future. They smell divine! Thank you!!

I made a variation of these yesterday and they turned out amazing! Used ground flax instead of chia seeds and used a mixture of oat flour and chocolate protein powder for the flour. They are very chocolaty even without the chips from the protein powder. Great flavor and consistency! Definitely reminiscent of banana bread and a fun treat. I really like them cold – thank you for this recipe!

I’m from Upstate New York and this past weekend participated in the Seneca 7 relay race. Seneca Lake is one of the finger lakes in upstate NY and it is 77 miles around. You have a team of 7 runners and you alternate legs and run around the entire lake, each runner doing about 11 miles. It ends up being a pretty tiring day. I made a double recipe of these and everyone LOVED them. They really helped us power around the lake :) I usually rely on Clif bars for an event like this so it was a wonderful change to actually know what i was fueling my body!

I couldn’t find buckwheat groats and coconuts nectar syrup so I used buckwheat flour and honey and they were fantastic!

Yum! Do you think they would turn out okay if I added some Vanilla Garden of Life protein powder?

Also, could you have a tutorial on cooking seitan for your next entry on transitioning to veganism. I’ve been vegan for years now, but I struggle with seitan even though I’ve been told it is super easy.

Made these yesterday. Turned out great. I used golden flax meal instead of buckwheat, agave instead of coconut nectar and almond instead of peanut butter. I made the changed because that is what I had on hand. I think the flax meal made the bars a little dry so next time I am going to use more bananas. Thanks for the recipe.

Hi Angela–Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts and feelings at the end of what was a really difficult week. Your words express what so many of us are experiencing. We all just have different ways of dealing with it. I, for one, think creating a recipe for yummy vegan banana bars is a pretty great coping mechanism. :)

I made these on Sunday and they turned out AWESOME! I ended up grinding up some gluten free oat flour in place of the groats (because I didn’t have any) and it didn’t seem to be an issue at all. Will definitely be making these again :D

This is a great receipe, have been on a 28 day challenge and was getting tired of the protein balls receipe that I had and it is like the “law of attraction” I found your one, so thanks for this can’t wait to get these made.

These are AMAZING!! I used oat flour (just threw the oats in my vitamix for a few minutes), agave nectar, and because I didn’t have natural peanut butter I used unsweetened Kraft PB and they were SO GOOD. Will definitely be making these again- great for breakfast, snack, dessert….

This is the second recipe I’ve seen for banana bread protein bars! Such a great idea! I’ve been making my peanut butter choc protein balls for ages, so this is probably I sign I should mix things up a little ;) These look perfect for a morning snack.

I just discovered your blog and have found so many yummy recipes here. I can’t wait to try these bars. Just a question about the coconut nectar syrup. I recently started using some recipes from the ‘I Quit Sugar’ cookbook (Sarah Wilson) and she recommends to sweeten foods with Rice Malt Syrup because it is not a fructose based sweetener. Do you know if coconut nectar syrup can be used in a sugar-free diet also? Thanks! Love your work.

Angela: I know you are busy but hoping you can answer a question for me. I might be moving to Oakville and renting a room in a condo with a senior lady (I’m in my 30’s). I’ve never been to Oakville ever…not sure what its like? She said the grocery stores are far awway but she could drive me to “Metro” once per week….the other grocery stores she mentioned didn’t even sound familiar to me ..she also said the library would be a longish bike ride away…so not the best location for me (far from food and library :) ). Yet the condo she has seems very clean and healthy and that’s important to me.

Thoughts? I have NO idea how big Oakville is or if its a neat place to be or not? I don’t believe there’s a university there right? I’ve heard its nice but I suppose if I live away from the “nice” spots, then I won’t get to see that. I like to walk, but am limited in how far/long I can walk and dont want to spend all energy on that I guess yuo know? And not sure getting a bike would be financially realistic for me, so…

I am new to your blog and absolutely love it! I just tried baking this particular recipe and it was a major hit. It turned out so well and I will be making this again. Thank you for all of your postings. I am a big fan!

I’m off to bake banana bread! Its May and we have snow on the ground! The only answer for being snowbound is banana bread and I’m so happy to find this recipe that
is healthful! My tomato plants are on the sunporch, waiting to go in the ground and ice is pelting the windows. Thanks to Angela, there’s going to be a bright spot in my kitchen.

These were perfect! The ultimate solution to packing a homemade snack for work! I love that there was no added sugar and the brown rice syrup didn’t add much sweetness. They hold me over for the couple hours before I can get my lunch at work!

These are AWESOME Angela!!! I was out of a few things so I made some substitutions: I subbed oat flour for the groats, pecans for the walnuts, and hemp seeds for the coconut (I have a coconut allergy). Thanks for another great recipe! :)

I’m new to your blog and love it! Love this recepie, had to try it out for myself as I am also a natural health blogger. I was so pleased, my kids loved the coconut flavours through the bars as well. Would it be ok if i featured some of your recepies on my blog with a link back to you? I’d love to spread them around among my clients and readers too.
Many thanks :)
Craig

If you’ve adapted the recipe feel free to post your version along with a link, but if you haven’t changed the recipe I ask that you do not repost it, but simply link. So glad you enjoyed the bars!! Take care

I made this with agave nectar (had on hand) and I ran my regular sized chocolate chips through my hand crank nut chopper. I’m trying to get used to the crunch of chia seeds in baked goods (I sometimes sub them out for flax, like in your gingerbread), but these are really growing on me. Thanks for the recipe!

Wow. Angela, these are incredible. I made a batch last night to bring on an a three day trip out of town. My fiance insisted I leave at least a few behind because he loved them so much. I had one for a mid-morning snack today and all of my co-workers were peaking. I get really tired of taking Lara Bars and Cliff Bars on trips, so these were a wonderful substitute. I will absolutely be making them again. Maybe another batch to take on the flight to Ireland in a few weeks??

This is a great tasting recipe that’s very yummy and healthy. I tried making this for breakfast earlier and my husband and son enjoyed it. I added a little maple syrup for flavor and sweetness!! Thank you for sharing!!

Just made these awesome bars last week. Unfortunately, we forgot to buy the coconut! They still turned out great though. All of my friends loved them. They beg me to bring them before every softball and soccer practice! Thanks for all the amazing recipes, I’ll continue to make them on my path to veganism.

I made the banana bread protein bars using oat flour instead of the buckwheat groats one. Also, I substituted the walnuts with pecans and hazelnuts. I was truly amazed of how good this recipe turned out to be. I think these bars are my new favorite snack. Thanks again for sharing it with us.

I love these! I have been buying bananas like crazy and waiting for them to ripen just right on the counter (impatient!) :-) so I can make another batch! Soooo good!
I subbed wheat bran for the groats – it adds fiber and a bit of hearty texture. I also subbed maple syrup for the brown rice syrup as I have never used brown rice syrup in baking but had plenty of maple syrup on hand!
The first couple batches I made in a big pan, and then cut into bars when cool. The most recent batch I made in a mini-loaf pan (think elongated cupcake wells) and they came out the perfect granola bar size.
Thank you so much for your recipes – they are accessible and easy and delicious! Love your images, too!

Ahhh delicious! love the ingredients in these as I dont like buying store granola/protein bars as always seem to have hidden sugars/chemicals – could I use coconut oil instead of nectar or is it too different??

Hi there! I made these recently and they ROCK! I did substitute with oat flour and they turned out great for anyone who doesn’t have buckwheat groats. They are a wonderful snack for on the go. They keep great in the fridge! Thanks for another awesome recipe!

Hey Nell, Buckwheat flour (if made from kasha, which is toasted buckwheat) has a stronger, earthier flavour, so I’m not sure how it would impact the overall flavour of these bars. You can certainly try it! I haven’t tried date syrup in the bars, so it would be an experiment. Let me know how it goes if you try it!

Hi Angela! Cooking and baking is so therapeutic for me as well ;) I could honestly do it all day. It’s just so comforting and satisfying to make your own food and then eat it! I am leaving for New York tomorrow and I needed to make some quick and satisfying bars that I could bring on the plane and eat on the go while in the city. After deliberating between all of your delicious looking bars, I finally decided on these and I’m so glad I did! :) I love that they have a subtle banana flavor but it’s not overly strong and the texture is chewy and moist- just like banana bread. I substituted homemade oat flour for buckwheat groats and agave nectar for coconut nectar syrup and they turned out perfect! Thanks for the fabulous recipe. I will be making it again.

Wow, I am obsessed with these, they are so good! I have made a batch a week for the past month. I also just made 2 more batches for my camping trip. Thanks for the great recipes! PS- I have used buckwheat flour in place of the groats… also quinoa flour and they both worked out great :-)

I made these last week and they were amazing to snack on while on the road for work. I made another batch tonight, adding a scoop of chocolate protein powder into the wet mix and some dried cherries to the dry – thank you for this recipe that I will be sure to make each week!

I made these bars today and they are delicious! The kids thought they were really good, too! I am on a no meat or soy,vegan, no peanut (I used almond butter), no milk dairy diet (anit-inflamation) and need to get my protien. These bars will do the trick! Thanks for the great recipe.

I tried the agave (even though my roommate had brown rice syrup I didn’t know about) and they turned out amazing! I had to struggle to keep myself from tearing into the batter before they were baked it was so delicious. I’m obsessed with all of your recipes I’ve tried, I haven’t made a single thing from your blog that I haven’t loved.

Delicious! My boyfriend loves these so much that usually I make a double batch, they are gone so fast! I was super happy that my local food co-op sells raw (as well as toasted) whole buckwheat groats, and I was excited to try out a new grain/seed, whatever groats are. I used a 3:1 almond butter to peanut butter ratio because I ran out of peanut butter, and they were great still. The flavors are perfect, and they are a great energy bar to grab and go and snack on throughout the day.

Oh and I made some of these and brought them to my mom and grandma, (my mom is curious and always trying different health foods), and they loved them too! Great recipe, I would recommend to anyone to make!

Thank you for the recipe! it is sooo delicious.
I used oats flour instead of buckwheat groats and coconut milk instead of the nectar syrup.
I also used Almonds and cashew butter.
It worked out great!!!

I made these last night with home made oat flour (rolled oats blasted in the blender really quick) and it turned out fine! I doubled the cinnamon too just for flavour. I love the textures with the walnuts in there. Thanks for the recipe x

I’m excited about this recipe. I’m trying mine with Oat Flour and I’ve added some rice protein powder (because I don’t mind the taste of protein powder). Instead of the rice syrup, I added another banana. They are in the process of being baked, but the batter is already delish! I plan on using this as a post-workout refueling instead of my usually banana with a protein powder drink.

I made these today and they taste very good! I used almonds instead of walnuts, raisins instead of chocolate chips and honey in place of the coconut nectar and everything worked out just as in your recipe, even the baking time is right =) Thank you! I am looking forward to eating the rest of these for the next week! =) I like that they actually survive cutting and don’t crumble away like granola bars…and the banana-peanut-honey mixture (from the wet ingredients bowl) tasted fantastically ;-)

I just wanted to say I admire your blog so much and I’m so in love with this recipe! My mom made these bars and sent them to me a few weeks after I left for college and they couldn’t be more perfect! It’s so hard to find good nutritious food on campus especially when I have a dairy allergy; these definitely satisfy my sweet tooth! Thanks again!

These are awesome! I had to make them nut-free so my kids can take them to school. Instead of walnuts I used pumpkin seed/flax seed mix, and instead of peanut butter I used sunflower seed butter. Fabulous recipe!

I also saw your mention of Organic Garage in a previous comment – I moved out of Oakville last fall, and that is definitely one place I miss…

Well, I was relatively happy making these until I dropped my mom’s mixing bowl on the floor while scooping it in and breaking it into a million pieces! The recipe, unfortunately, could not be saved. Listening to calming music trying to feel better now :/ Raw batter tasted mighty nice, though!

I checked with a staff member at my food co-op (Hunger Mountain Co-op, Montpelier, Vt.), and the staff member claimed that Hunger Mountain’s buckwheat flour comes from raw groats. I realize that may mean nothing regarding the offerings at mainstream “grocery stores.” As a general rule, Food Co-ops are much less “truth-challenged” when it comes to labelling. :-)

I would have assumed that all flours came from raw grains unless otherwise noted, AND that toasted buckwheat flour would be called “kasha flour,” whereas the flour from the raw grain would be called “buckwheat flour.” Further, I buy my food at a food co-op where they are pretty particular about labelling such details. But we know what happens when one assumes, don’t we? So I will look into it and find out. Meanwhile – regarding the other half of my original question – oat flour is RAW oat flour – is it not?

I don’t know what I’d do without your blog! These are a life saver for someone with diet restrictions but who loves to eat and needs a hearty breakfast or snack on the go. I have substituted oat flour and it works great. I use honey or maple syrup instead of rice syrup, and I use whatever seeds I have around – pumpkin (not as good but ok), flax, chia… and I’m not a coconut fan and they are great without it. Thanks SO MUCH! For someone who really enjoys food but with lots of less-then-desirable restrictions, you’re a blessing!

Could only find roasted groats at my grocery store: used those, about a 70/30 mix of honey and maple syrup in place of the coconut/brn rice, and skipped the coconut and they worked beautifully! Delicious and just the right texture for a bar like this. One bite and I think I found a go-to, thank you! :)

Wow, these bars are a real winner! I made them last night and had two after my morning run today and must say they are so tasty, super satisfying and just a perfect little snack. I used raisins in place of the choc chips to make them more breakfast friendly and skipped the extra sweetener (I just added in a splash of water to make up for the missing liquid). It worked out perfectly. They are really good with an extra smear of pb on top, too. ;)
What a great recipe, Ill be sure to make these regularly from now on. Thanks for sharing this here with us!

These were A-Mazing! I could have eaten the whole batch right out of the oven. But I saved some for the BF and his kids who also loved them. So did my girlfriend and her kids. Brought them camping in Yosemite with us and shared the with a few people there. They all thought they were great! I am going to make again soon!
I made two small changes. Pecans instead of walnuts because I had them on hand, and I don’t much care for walnuts and agave for the coconut nectar. I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!

Thank you for this delicious recipee! I will be sharing with all my vegetarian good food-loving pals here in Australia. Just a note-I used oat flour instead of the buckwheat and honey instead of coconut necter. Also for some extra protein (and deliciousness!) I sprinkled the top with a nut mix of pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds. DELICIOUS!!! :)

I made these yesterday using oat flour instead of buckwheat groats and used a combo of rice syrup and agave syrup. They are so good! I’m going to have to hide them from my 2 year old, I Just found him shoving them in his mouth after finding the container. He cried when I took them away which speaks volumes as to how good they are!

Thank you for this recipe. These bars are AWESOME! I used agave instead of brown rice syrup and halved the amount of walnuts and peanut butter to lower the calorie count a bit. (I also used oat flour instead of grouts.)These turned out so well! I’m excited to serve them at a cocktail party I’m hosting tomorrow. A healthy snack will be a nice change.

Hi- I subbed the buckwheat for 1/2 cup of oats that I ground finely in the food processor. I also used honey instead of the brown rice syrup. All I can say is that these are going to be a morning staple in my house from now on!! So easy and sooo yummy!!

I am unsure what buckwheat groats are.
I have buckwheat flour and love it, use it often. Would that be alright?
I love the idea of a bar to have that I cam munch happily and not feel guilty. I am not keen on sugary, sweet things anyway.
Raisins are sweet and so full of calories. Could I miss out the chocolate and put a seed or two in. I am trying hard to lose weight, just very slowly but go in the right direction.

I just have a general question regarding the buckwheat groats. I have a food processor and attempted to ground them but the processor did not like this and all the different attachments I use don’t seem to like them either. So I was just wondering if there was another way that I could ground them or could I soak them and then ground them or will this make the texture too wet? Thanks :)

These bars are delicious and so quick to prepare! I have a flight tomorrow and was searching for something tasty to bring on the plane. It is actually in the top results in Google for ‘vegan plane snacks’.. I used almonds instead of walnut, grounded them in the vitamix to a coarse flour.
I actually hid these so nobody eats them before the flight…
Double recipe for a family people!

I make this recipe all the time – love it when I’m craving something sweet which happens every day. I haven’t taken the time to find buckwheat groats. Instead I use almond flour and it turns out great. Looking forward to trying more of your recipes!

I’ve made these bars two or three times and they’re always great. I haven’t had buckwheat so I’ve subbed almond pulp leftover from making almond milk, and the results have been excellent. I took these bars in a cooler for a multi-day cross-country drive and, a few weeks later, on the plane for an overnight trip to Europe. Sure have been glad to have them along.

I’ve already left a rave review for these bars, but after having made them over and over again, I need to add another. I make them about once every two weeks and try to restrict my nibbling to no more than one bar per day. They freeze beautifully, satisfy my craving for something chocolate-y and sweet, and don’t contain tons of ingredients I shouldn’t eat. Thanks again for a terrific recipe.

third batch of these bars in the oven right now. And I only discovered this recipe two weeks ago. My GF DF daughter loves them. I have subbed the 1/2 cup buckwheat grouts for 1/4 cup hemp hearts and 1/4 cup vanilla protein powder. Also subbed sunflower seeds for coconut. My daughter is not a coconut fan. Great recipe.

These are delicious!
I made a tiny alternation – instead of using peanut butter, I used 1/4 C of powdered peanut butter (PB&ME) and mixed this with 50mL (instead of 60mL) of maple syrup before adding the mashed banana. I also used oat flour instead of buckwheat flour. They baked up perfectly. Mine took closer to 30 minutes in the oven and I would probably cook them longer next time to get them more golden and crunchy.
Thanks for the recipe!

These bars are AWESOME!! I changed the recipe up just a bit and it worked. Here’s what I did. I added 2/3 cup original rolled oats plus 1/2 cup original rolled oats. I ground them in my cuisinart until I had a flour like consistency. Instead of coconut, I added 1/4 heaping cup of dried cranberries and instead of chocolate chips, I added 1/4 cup of dried blueberries. Instead of chia seeds I replaced with hemp seeds, which pack 7 grams of protein in 2.5 tbsp (I put in 3 tbsp) I added the cinnamon & the fine grain sea salt & whisked all together. For the wet ingredients, I substituted the bananas with shredded apple fuji apples (just shy of 3/4 cup as they wetter than bananas) I replaced the peanut butter with almond butter & replaced the coconut nectar syrup with honey and added the 1 tsp pure vanilla extract. I followed the recipe and VOILA it worked! Enjoy